The invention relates to an open-end spinning machine having a plurality of spinning units that are arranged in a row adjacent to one another on each side of the machine and that each have an opening device for opening up fibers.
It is known Ger. Pat. No. 26 58 752) to arrange below the separation openings of the individual spinning units, a channel that passes through in longitudinal direction of the machine, which serves as a stationary collecting device for impurities. One or several conveying devices move in this channel that take the impurities along and lead them to a suction device that is connected to the channel. In this case, it is also known (FIG. 16) to slidably arrange a pneumatic travelling unit in the channel that, by means of a traction rope, is driven to perform a to-and-fro motion. This pneumatic travelling unit pushes the impurities in the channel along in front of the unit until a suction device is reached. It is also provided that this travelling unit, in the area of each spinning unit, connects itself automatically with a vacuum duct so that the removal by suction from the channel takes place via a cleaning element connected with the vacuum duct. Depending on the speed of the travelling unit, the removal by suction of the impurities takes place for only a relatively short time so that at least a part of the impurities is pushed along by the travelling unit in front of itself and is pushed past under the separation opening of the spinning unit that follows The danger exists that large amounts of impurities will collect that will be sucked into the spinning unit, via the separation opening of a spinning unit Accumulations of impurities of this type in the form of so-called clots result in a disturbance of the spinning process, i.e., in a defective point in the yarn or even in a yarn breakage.
It is also known Ger. Pat. No. 24 58 538) to provide a servicing carriage that drives around the open-end spinning machine and that, when it is applied to the individual spinning units, empties and cleans dirt collecting chambers Since a travelling unit must also drive around the open-end spinning machine on the outside that must carry out other servicing processes and particularly the piecing, only a very irregular cleaning cycle is obtained because the piecing must have priority because of the otherwise occurring production losses. If the two servicing units are combined into one unit, irregular cleaning cycles are also obtained. The danger will then exist that after the impurities are separated at the separation opening the time period before removal will be too long. The danger exists that accumulations of impurities will be sucked back via the separation opening, and will then interfere with the spinning process and result in defective points in the yarn or in a yarn breakage.
It is also known (Ger. Pat. No. 24 55 542) to combine two servicing units with a joint undercarriage that carry out servicing operations at two opposite spinning units, for example, piecing operations. In this case, it is also known to arrange these combined two servicing units so that they can be moved between two rows of spinning units of a spinning machine.
It is also known (rotor spinning machine "Autocoro" of W. Schlafhorst & Co., 4050 Moenchengladbach) to provide a movable servicing device that, for carrying out a piecing operation, can be applied to the individual spinning units. This servicing arrangement contains not only devices for the cleaning of the spinning rotor before a piecing operation, but also devices for the blowing-off of certain areas of the spinning unit. The impurities that are detached in this case, for example, fiber fly or the like, are not carried off in a controlled way. Therefore, the danger exists that these impurities may deposit at another point and may result in a disturbance at that point.
An object of the invention is to provide an open-end spinning machine such that an effective removal of the separated impurities is achieved without causing an increased energy consumption and without the danger that accumulations of dirt are sucked back into a spinning unit and/or are carried from one spinning unit to another.
This object is achieved by providing cleaning elements for sucking away and removing impurities which are arranged on the inside of the open-end spinning machine between two rows of spinning units and which contain at least one suction pipe. The at least one suction pipe extends to stationary collecting elements which collect impurities from the spinning units.
By means of this invention, the devices for the sucking away and removing of the impurities are arranged in a hitherto unutilized area, in which case the arrangement takes place in such a way that other servicing units are not interfered with. As a result, the required cleaning cycles can be maintained without the danger of inadmissible accumulations of separated impurities. Since the sucking away and removing of impurities always takes place only at one or only at a few points, the energy consumption that is required for this purpose can be kept relatively low. Constructive and mechanical expenditures are also relatively low.
According to other advantageous features of certain preferred embodiments of the invention, a carriage is provided as the device for the sucking away and removing of the impurities. The carriage includes a separation box and devices for generating a vacuum. In certain preferred embodiments, a stationary evacuation station is provided which is assigned for the separation box. As a result, an independent travelling unit is created that is not dependent on the other devices and that travels in an area that hitherto had not been utilized so that the functions of other travelling units are not impaired.
According to other advantageous features of certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it is provided that between the rows of the spinning units a vacuum duct is provided that extends in longitudinal direction of the machine and to which the devices for the sucking away and the removing of the impurities are permanently or continuously connected pneumatically. In certain embodiments of the invention, it is provided that the devices for the sucking away and the removing of the impurities including the at least one suction pipe can be moved in longitudinal direction of the machine at the vacuum duct, that is used for the carrying-away of the impurities, and is permanently pneumatically connected to it. The vacuum duct is therefore also used for the carrying-away of the impurities so that an evacuation station or the like is not needed. The suction pipes operate as an extension of the vacuum duct and periodically move past the collecting devices assigned to the separation openings, and in the process, carry away the impurities. Thus the technical expenditures are quite low and the energy consumption is also relatively low.
According to other advantageous features of certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it is provided that the devices for the sucking away and removing of impurities are driven by means of a circulating, continuous driving element. This results in a constructively simple drive that requires no significant control expenditures because the devices for the sucking away and removing of the impurities do not have to stop at the individual spinning units.
According to other advantageous features of certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it is provided that the devices for the sucking away and the removing of impurities are equipped with additional suction pipes that extend to other points of the spinning units that are to be cleaned. As a result, the special advantage is achieved that also a cleaning of the spinning units takes place in a back area that is hardly accessible to operating personnel, and therefore in many cases is not cleaned during the practical operation.
According to other advantageous features of certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it is provided that each spinning unit is equipped with a system including stationarily arranged suction pipes. When the devices for the sucking away and the removing of impurities move past, the stationary pipes can be pneumatically connected with the cleaning devices. As a result, it is also possible to periodically carry out cleaning operations at points of the individual spinning units that otherwise are hardly accessible.
According to advantageous features of certain preferred embodiments of the invention, the machine is constructed to largely prevent the danger of clogs being sucked into spinning units, while at the same time, the possibility exists that the individual spinning units together are cleaned effectively. In these embodiments, a servicing device is provided that can be moved along the open-end spinning machine on the outside on the operating side of the spinning units. For carrying out a piecing operation, the servicing device can be applied to a spinning unit, in which case devices for the coordinating of the servicing device and the devices for the sucking away and the removing of the impurities are provided by means of which both can be applied to the same spinning unit for the carrying out of a combined servicing operation.
By means of this combined servicing operation, it is possible to clean the spinning units very well, i.e., from the direction of the operating side and from the direction of the back side, in which case the impurities detached during the cleaning are received and carried away. Since the servicing arrangement that carries out a piecing operation becomes operative only after a yarn breakage, i.e., in the case of a spinning operation that is interrupted at the corresponding spinning unit, it is possible to carry out a very intensive cleaning operation. In certain preferred embodiments, this intensive cleaning operation includes using powerful air currents which cannot result in a reduction of the yarn quality because at this point in time, spinning does not take place at the concerned spinning point.
According to advantageous features of certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it is provided that the servicing arrangement is equipped with devices for the detaching of impurities that are located in or at a spinning unit. These impurities that are detached by the servicing arrangement will then be received and carried away by the cleaning devices arranged between the two sides of the machine.
According to advantageous features of certain preferred embodiments of the invention, it is provided that between the adjacent spinning units of each row, screens are provided. By means of these screens, the adjacent spinning units are partitioned off with respect to one another so that cleaning operations using strong currents of blown air can be carried out at the individual spinning units without disturbing adjacent spinning units. These screens that may, for example, be simple metal sheets, are developed in such a way that driving elements that pass through in longitudinal direction of the machine, such as tangential belts or shafts, can be guided through the sheets.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.